A big scandal erupted in France yesterday when a former aide made wide accusations of corruption in a radio interview.

Robert Bourgi said he delivered around $20 million to former president Jacques Chirac and his prime minister Dominique de Villepin from African leaders to French leaders in exchange for diplomatic and military favors, according to Reuters.

Both Chiraq and Villepin denied these claims and said they would sue.

While Bougi denied passing any money to President Nicolas Sarkozy, another former aide came out of the woodwork yesterday and said that he had.

"Nothing stopped with Sarkozy," Jean-François Probst alleged. To say otherwise was "not credible. Bourgi has laboured tirelessly for Sarkozy (to drum up funds) from African leaders since the 2007 presidential elections," he told the Daily Telegraph.

Now everyone is waiting for a response from Africa.

Bernard Houdin, an adviser to Laurent Gbagbo, the former Ivory Coast president, said such payments were "a historical practice" and that "the sums mentioned are no doubt below reality," he told the Telegraph.